Interpol – “All The Rage Back Home” Video

Interpol announced their forthcoming fifth album, El Pintor, last month, and followed that with a live video of album track “Anywhere,” which they’d actually debuted back in March (along with another new one, “My Desire”). So “All The Rage Back Home” is technically the third song we’ve heard from El Pintor, but it’s the first single, and the first studio recording. Even going in totally blind, anyone who’s heard more than, say, six minutes of Interpol’s music in the past would recognize them as the authors of “All The Rage Back Home” within the first second of the song (not exaggerating). And that signature is pretty clear for the track’s remaining 265-or-so seconds. This is to say, if you’re a fan of Interpol, you’ll have no reason not to be a fan of this song. The accompanying video was co-directed by the band’s frontman Paul Banks and Sophia Peer, and you can watch/listen below.

It’s a great song, but my only criticism is that it started to sound a little repetitive by the time I got to the end. Well, it’s still stuck in my head as I’m writing this, so it’s got something to it. I’m looking forward to hearing the full album.

It’s funny you say that! There was absolutely zero condescension intended, although I worried maybe I came off a little too pithy. To be clear, I both was and am a fan of the albums you mentioned, and I actually like this song a lot, but I couldn’t find much to say about it that was more insightful than, “It sounds like Interpol.” I mean that as a compliment! This is a good song, and if the rest of the album is this good, El Pintor will probably be the third best Interpol album. But that’s basically definitely its ceiling, right? Honestly, this song doesn’t suggest to me that the band’s best days are ahead of them. Also, FWIW, I loved “The Heinrich Maneuver” when that song came out, and I couldn’t wait for Our Love To Admire, and that album was a total letdown, so I’m inclined to approach this one with cautious optimism. But I am optimistic, and I’d be much happier if Interpol were to release a great album that makes my pithiness here look shortsighted than a mediocre (or bad) album that makes my pithiness look prescient.

Ya know, I’m a pretty loyal Interpol fan and any fan will attest that they have drifted a bit over the past few albums with Our Love/Admire being their last infectious Interpol album. Did Carlos leaving have something to do with it? Maybe, I don’t know.

But what I do know is that these releases from El Pinder are about the closest thing we’ll probably ever get to Antics or Bright Lights….and this song is perfect example of that. I’m not looking for innovative indie rock when I play Interpol, I’m looking to seep into brooding NYC scuz. Love these guys.

I ended up liking this way more than I anticipated. Has a sense of urgency after the first minute that I don’t typically associate with Interpol. Feels like Interpol, but still a little different in context of their “sound.” Though, it seems they trade this off for the slinky rhythms that characterized a lot of their prior songs.

I thought this song sounded a lot like Next Exit in the beginning, but hey, going Interpolesque indie-rock was a nice surprise! I don’t think the riff is all that catchy, so I kinda wish they’d dropped it when the song kicked in and instead go straight driving powerchords, but that’s me.

Love the chorus – got that Interpol touch. It’s a nice pop-single for them; it won’t win them any new fans and I highly doubt they’re even trying to do that at this point.

One final aside – it’s hard not to wonder how Carlos D would’ve played this bassline…it seems a little too straight forward for an Interpol song, but perhaps that’s just the way it is these days.

I feel the same way, especially regarding your comments about Carlos. And to me, that’s where this song is lacking. I feel like some more creativity on the bass could make this song a lot more dynamic.

Honestly, I feel like the big thing that bummed me out with them started with Our Love to Admire: prioritizing the guitar. The first two albums have great guitar work, but it felt like the incredibly tight rhythm section was what was leading the ship. Songs could turn on a dime, in part because Carlos D’s basslines on those first two were just so damn flexible and smart. Once they started downplaying that some on OLtA, it felt like a lot of the “thrust”–for lack of a better word–started to fall away from the band, and it continued into the self-titled for me.

Again, I like this song quite a bit, but a more dynamic bass line would absolutely have been welcome. Oh well.

I love The Heinreich Manuever and Who Do You Think…but I do agree with you that they started heavily emphasizing Daniel’s lead guitar lines in each song, where certainly TOTBL didn’t really do that. But you could see that coming in Antics, with songs like Narc, and now that’s their signature sound. But to me, it was always about the bass/drums with the guitar as atmospherics.

So much your last sentence. It took me awhile listening to OLTA before I realized the bass/drums were farther back in the mix. Perhaps a major label concession? The beauty of those first two albums was it was easy to bounce around each musician’s contribution because they were so prominent in the mix.

The one thing that worries me is the beginning. It seems to come out of nowhere, and does not fit the fact that this is supposedly the album opener. However, the teaser video they released about a month ago showed them recording what seemed to be an extended intro for this song, which I really hope will be there in the LP. Also, I don’t really like when songs just fade out, it seems lazy; but, oh well, at least it’s a good song and we already know there’s at least 2 other tracks of equal/better quality (I’m really loving “My Desire”).

Off topic – how stoked are you for the new Mew album? And how bummered were you when you found out it wasn’t coming out until 2015!?!? I was both shocked and saddened. Happy they got their bassist back though.

Also – totally agree with you re: fade out. I don’t get it either…song would’ve been better served with a period, not an ellipses.

I am drooling all over the Mew record; Johan’s comeback put a big ol’ smile on my face and the new songs sound really, mmm, agressive? vigorous? Especially the one called “Witness”, that stuff is fire. I dig Mew because they know how to modify their sound with every album while always keeping a strong focus on their strengths (the proggy edge, Jonas’s falsetto, and epic sing-along choruses). I would love to have it on my hands right now, but one more year is not too long to wait for someone who also loves GY!BE, Modest Mouse, and Yndi Halda.

I was loving the song until the fade out. I generally hate fade outs. For a song that snaps into overdrive 1 minute in, I feel ending it with a complete Gang of Four halt would’ve been most appropriate. Since it’s the album intro, that would help transition into Track 2 and get some momentum going. I’M HOPING there is an extended version of this song and they just faded it out for the single release.

I like the middle of the song well enough but I agree with everyone saying that the intro and fade out stand as clear weaknesses in the song. The intro seems detached from the rest of the song and when it picked up speed it just kind of seemed like a no sequitur. And you’re totally right how it could be done a lot better to transition into track number 2. Still, I like the sound of it for the most part and am very curious to how this one sounds as a whole, which I can always dream will be a return to a similar seriousness of their first two albums

Seeing them as a three piece is actually a really good look for them. We all wish Carlos was still in the band, but seeing Paul pick up a bass and showing Interpol now as a three piece was a good decision.

Impossible to deny the immense talent between those three guys.

This song is going to be a blast live, which is really the only thing that matters in Interpol’s career at this point.

I could be wrong, but I think the three-piece look is just for promotional image purposes (even the pictures from the last album depicted them as a trio) and live, they’ll still be joined by the dude from the Secret Machines.

Whatever the case, they still look cool as hell with their updated suit goth-gone-surfer look and they almost make me wish everyone was still wearing blazers, because blazers were so much more easier to layer and coordinator than denim jackets. Screw you, denim jackets!

Oh yeah, no doubt it’s for promotional purposes. Just like when Carlos was around and their keyboardist was the extra member. Do you think they’ll have a touring bassist too? Meaning they’ll still be a 5-piece live?

I was thinking today, “When are fade outs good?” Instantly I thought of “Not Even Jail” as a perfect example of when fading out is acceptable.

What are the criteria? I feel the song has to be consistent throughout. A song that has that certain, infectious groove (see “Red Eyes” from this year) that you want to hear over and over forever. In the case of those songs, a fade out is a kind way to end one of those songs. So in your mind, it’s like that song never ends, because why would you want a song like “Red Eyes” or “Not Even Jail” to end?

There is a bit of that feeling with “All The Rage Back Home” when it gets going, but it has that surprise break at the beginning. I feel a surprise end break would have balanced it out better. Now, if Track #2 on “El Pintor” is a slow burner, then the fade out will make more sense. Otherwise it’ll be a momentum killer.

man, the coda on not even jail never fails to give me shivers from when sam hits the snare and crash a beat before the bass comes in and hits all those coupled 16th notes at both ends of the neck all the whole daniel and paul doing some amazing signature guitar interplay

these are two of my fave bands but i will admit that the last FF album was weak, though their only weak one so they get a pass after 3 straight killer records. right action and especially stand on the horizon are absolutely killer.

“a total letdown”?Pioneer to the falls,the scale and pace is the trick are in the top ten of all interpols songs.Also they dont make songs for first listen, they are deeper than that.I mean when i first listened “Lights” i said “ok,good song,nothing special”, now i think its epic.

the scale in the top 10?! every song on the first 2 records is better than the scale and is in the bottom half of songs on OLTA IMO. to each his own, but man, its not better than anything on the first 2 records by a mile.

I can’t help but agree about the bassline, but if any of you have seen this played live in person, you can pick up the little intricacies, especially when it’s in the hands of Brad who basically picks it apart and adds his own fills to it. It’s different, but I can see a more Joy Division slant being taken in terms of the bass playing, Carlos had more of a ‘lead from the back’ kind of approach all, rounding off the tone so he wasn’t too prominent which allowed a more intricate approach without drawing too much attention. However with this the P-bass tone is roaring, and is one straight pattern. I can imagine it being very difficult to write a more detailed and creative bassline if you are having to do vocals as well. I like this track, more so because when I play it on bass there is a lot of room to add your own fills and movements to it.

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